This is what I saw when I was driving down the road yesterday. Looks pretty comfortable.
At least that guy pretty obviously doesn’t believe the myth that driving barefoot is illegal.
The barefoot driving myth is one of the ways I got started with barefooting, way back in the mid-1990s. Back then the internet was mainly things like email and Usenet newsgroups, and the driving myth would show up fairly regularly. Also, back then, state statutes weren’t online, so when I went to debunk that myth, I went to the library and found the AAA Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws. (Of course, back then, there was no internet link and you had to look at the real book.) It listed it as legal everywhere in the United States. I checked copies from 1988 through 1994 and they all said the same thing.
Oddly enough, the entry for Ohio said it was “not recommended.” Now, state legislatures do not pass “not recommendeds”, they pass laws. I’m guessing that the AAA person called the Ohio BMV, and the person on the phone, instead of actually answering the question, said, “Well, we don’t recommend it.” Of course, that has no legal import. That was also on the Ohio website until fairly recently (5 years ago or so).
Yet, despite it not being illegal, many people kept claiming that they were ticketed for driving barefoot. That just says that the cops probably believed the myth, too. Here’s a story from back then from somebody who was ticketed for driving barefoot and who took it to court:
Just because someone got a ticket for driving barefoot doesn’t mean that it is illegal. I was cited for driving barefoot several years ago. The thing that upset me was that the judge allowed the police officer almost an hour to look through the law book before he dismissed the case. (The judge postponed my case to the end of the day’s proceedings.) The officer never did find the law he was looking for.
[Some folks have sometimes claimed that what the police can do is ticket you for “unsafe driving”. (Well, of course, they can ticket you for anything — the question is whether it is justified and whether it sticks.) The burden is on the state to prove that it is unsafe to drive barefoot (you know, guilty beyond a reasonable doubt) and they have no evidence that that is the case.]
LOL I do that all the time 🙂 I drive an itty-bitty Scion though. So that’s not me 🙂
Looks comfty!
The leg out the window might not be good during a collision though. My favorite response to people telling me driving barefoot is illegal? “Prove it.” Cheers!
Good article, but I don’t like the picture much… I think driving in that position would be unsafe regardless of what you are or aren’t wearing on your foot. Otherwise yes, heard of several cases of people who got ticketed for it and had it dismissed, some with my help.
Good quotes plus links showing barefoot driving is not unsafe (as long as you keep your feet in a normal position, where they belong!):
‘Careless or reckless driving would really be a stretch, as an argument could be made that a barefoot person has more control over the pedals.’ http://bit.ly/9I5fT9
An officer recommending barefoot over heels or ‘other shoes that make driving difficult’: http://bit.ly/aXSsED
and here an Australian insurance research director who says ‘shoes with thin soles and low heels are safest when driving [..] but driving barefoot is safer than wearing bad footwear’ http://bit.ly/aMS6rd
And one more: ‘In fact, many times law enforcement and traffic safety personnel would recommend that if you are wearing shoes with a high heel or are oversized, that you remove the shoes (place them somewhere other than on the floor of the driver’s area) and continue to operate the vehicle with socks or bare feet.’ http://bit.ly/kMd9gg
Twice in the past few weeks the propped-up foot was mentioned after I showed this link to people, and I decided to Google a bit on the legality of this. I can’t find anything definite for the US, but here’s a warning for UK drivers: they really don’t like it there! See http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1268066/Driver-caught-doing-70mph-fast-lane-leg-window.html
And a short quote:
“It is not the sort of activity which is conducive to road safety. Fortunatley there was no serious injury or death but that is more than a distinct possibility for people who drive with one foot out of the window.
Nunns, of Rossington, Doncaster was given 200 hours of unpaid work, banned from drving for two years and ordered to complete a responsible road users course.”
(the person in the article had taken his shoe off but that is only mentioned in passing, it’s clearly the driving position which is the issue. Driving barefoot or in socks is not illegal in the UK either, although there too some people think it is.)
Are cars with the driver on the right still driven with the right foot?
If that is the case, I can see why the situation in the article would be particularly dangerous. If you’ve never left-foot braked before, it can be pretty tricky and I can see why he fishtailed the car.
To recap, the guy had his right foot out the window.
For my photo, I don’t think there is anywhere near the same degree of danger. The guy used his right foot to drive, and only had his (non-functional) left foot out of the window. In fact, during the time I saw him, he was driving at 60mph, braked and stopped for the stop light (where I took the photo), and then accelerated back up to highway speed. Using his usual right foot.
Is there some additional danger? I suppose so. I suppose his foot could be blocking his side mirror. If he got in an accident and his air bag went off, his torso probably would not be properly positioned so he would sustain additional injuries.
Anyways, I suspect which side the driver is on makes a big difference.
You’re right, pedals are the same, even on the other side of the car (had to look that up, never drove in the UK or any other lefty country :)). Still also in my own experience, years ago when a similar conversation came up on the SBL mailing list, I tried to stick my foot out the window as a passenger to try it out, and even with the seat back found it very hard to get into that position. I had to fold myself in half and lean back so far I couldn’t properly see the road in front of the car, I definitely could NOT have driven safely in that position. But I guess a lot depends on the vehicle, and I’m a very tiny person too. It might well be easier for a tall person or even someone of average height.
I was surprised Google didn’t turn up any definite results for the US. Not that I put a lot of time into it (spending time on detailed research is up to those who actually have an active interest in doing it :-P) but I sorta had expected somewhere, somehow, there’d be some ‘foot-up driver’ who had compiled a list of state laws similar to ours about barefoot driving. Well, if anyone does come across one or compiles one later, let me know -I won’t actively search for places to promote it since my own opinion of it still isn’t really positive, but regardless of my opinion, I’d like to be able to provide honest and factual information when someone asks if the foot-up part is also legal.
I’ve done it (well, not out the window, but just below the sill). I am tall, though. I imagine limberness would matter, too. Also, the size/layout of the vehicle.
It lowered my gaze by about 3 inches, so I also had to adjust the mirror. Other than that, I felt as if I had full control of the vehicle.
It really does help with blood pooling in the feet from driving long distances. (Of course, being barefoot and able to flex one’s toes helps too.)
Regarding laws, I doubt any state would even bother to legislate such a thing. When I get a chance I’ll take a good look at Ohio laws—if somebody got stopped, I don’t doubt that the charge would be some nebulous “unsafe driving” (which, if you think about it, might also unjustifiably be applied by an ignorant cop to barefoot driving).
Ah, interesting! I consider myself pretty limber, but my small size just means the window is at shoulder level when I sit up straight. With some vehicles, I don’t like the way the belt goes up high past my ear instead of across my shoulder! I didn’t measure how much my gaze was lowered, but I had to have my seat up in the most upright when I drove normally, so yeah, any time I duck down at all I just can’t see anymore what’s happening close to the vehicle. 😛
About the unsafe driving, yeah, that’s what they slapped the UK guy with if I understand the article correctly. For ‘foot down’ barefooters who run into that, see my comment from Oct 2011, I guess safe or unsafe could be cause for discussion but those four sources with ‘officials’ claiming it’s not unsafe are still up and available! 🙂